From the Editor: Housekeeping

Photo by Spanishalex/Bigstock.com

It’s that time of year again when I need to clean out my virtual to-do list and let you know about some of the things that are happening around Lavender Media and our Lavenderland. Housekeeping works well in an issue dedicated to Winter Home & Garden topics. Speaking of this issue, have you noticed we’ve been including regular articles about senior living? This one is about Universal Design and how to either design or retrofit your home to work for you as you age. We’ve included more topics for the aging community this year because it is an important facet to pay attention to, particularly because the rainbow community sees a significant number of people go back into the closet as they get older. We need to make an effort to make sure our elders don’t suffer erasure in our society, that they don’t get lost in the shuffle, so we’re trying to do our part.

On the flipside of dedicating more material to the aging segment of our community, we are also going to be featuring more online content for the younger set in our demographic. Look for some changes to happen here at Lavender Media. In addition to the Lavender Magazine that you’re either holding in your hands or reading via the internet, we’ll be increasing our video and online content to get this community in front of the eyes of more of the younger folks who take their media in shorter, more visual snippets. Okay, as a 40-year old, I also tend to enjoy all sorts of videos on Facebook on my phone as I’m going about my day. So, maybe this is one way for me to still feel like part of the younger set (as I squint and wonder if I need bifocals).

Speaking of videos and online content, Halloween is just around the corner. We’re going to be featuring a number of fun Halloween posts on our website, so keep an eye out on social media. And, if you’re not into social media, all of our content is always at www.lavendermagazine.com, so check our “Recent Posts” section for anything new. If you’ve got Halloween events being held in public places, be sure to add them for free to our events calendar so people can know about them. Also, from me to you, please be careful and take care of each other this Halloween season. Be safe and have fun.

I can’t believe the year’s already this far gone! It’s that time of the year for the Lavender Community Awards! Do you know an individual, an organization, or a company that has done great work for the rainbow community in the past year? Take a short amount of time to fill out the information in the form on our website to share the gratitude and recognize the efforts put out by these great people. Be sure to include any contact information possible for the nominee so that the Lavender staff can reach them. Oftentimes, your nominations are the first time we’ve known of a person and their contributions to this community, so the more you can tell us about them, the more likely it is that we can honor them. Nominations are due by noon on November 4, so go to this link to get yours in on time: http://tiny.cc/lavenderawards

Election Day is November 7. No, it’s not a presidential election year that tends to get more voter turnout. But, as we know, each level of public office counts. Get out and vote. Every election day is historic.

Last but not least, congratulations to our WNBA champions, the
Minnesota Lynx! You are tremendous coaches, athletes, and ambassadors. Thank you for all you do.